


Solangelo One-Shot Requests

by Panic_At_The_Disney



Series: (Mostly) Solangelo One-Shots [2]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: AU, Accepting Prompts in the Comments, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Not Human, Blood, Demons, F/M, Games, Getting Together, Internalized Homophobia, Kinda, M/M, Nico di Angelo/Will Solace Fluff, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Part Two, Pining, References to Torture, Requests, Series, Ten chapters, Whump, i guess?, mental health, probably, prompts, references to death, sequels
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:28:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25651354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Panic_At_The_Disney/pseuds/Panic_At_The_Disney
Summary: ACCEPTING PROMPTS IN THE COMMENTS!!!!Full chapter summaries in the beginning notes.Chapter 1- Will corners Nico with an unexpected question. (8/1/20)Chapter 2- Will accidentally summons an angelic demon with a dark past. (8/8/20)
Relationships: Nico di Angelo & Percy Jackson, Nico di Angelo & Will Solace, Nico di Angelo/Will Solace
Series: (Mostly) Solangelo One-Shots [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1842937
Comments: 52
Kudos: 98





	1. Would You Eat A Llama?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will corners Nico with an unexpected question.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt:  
> "Can you do a sequel to chapter 2? (Will has to find a way to raise enough money to help with the infirmary's ability to treat mental health.) Like, how Nico would benefit from getting therapy."  
> Requested By Hmmmmmm (FASCINATING name)
> 
> PART ONE:  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/24423724/chapters/59111251#workskin
> 
> For context, you can (probably) read as a stand-alone
> 
> I know, I know, it's been forever since I posted and I'M SORRY

* * *

The first time Will approached him, steely anger in his blue eyes, Nico ran for it.

  
What? What do _you_ suggest he should've done?

  
It's not like he didn't know what Will wanted. He wanted to ask Nico about the money that he'd given him to help in the infirmary.

  
It wasn't even a big deal, really. It was almost a year ago, just after the Battle of Manhattan. Will had said something in passing about wanting money to help the infirmary treat mental health.

  
At first, Nico didn't want to help him. But that was mostly because when Will said ' _mental health problems_ ', Nico thought of the mental hospitals back in Italy. Bianca had always said never to tell anyone about his sexuality, because they would put him in there.

  
So when Will said that Nico definitely had mental health problems, of course he would think the worst. But then Will explained what he meant, and... what he wanted to do was actually _really sweet_. So of course Nico helped him! What kind of person do you think he is?

  
He didn't want Will to make a big deal out of it. For Zeus' sake, Hades was the god of riches! Nico could buy anything he wanted, so why shouldn't he help Will?

  
But he knew, he really did, that Will would want to thank him. Not that Nico expected anything in return, but he knew that Will was just that kind of person – the kind to constantly thank people and give them payment, when no one in their right mind would expect it.

  
But yeah, Nico kind of expected Will would try and thank him. What he didn't expect was for Will to be _angry_ at him.

  
"Nico di Angelo!" Will shouted, but Nico was already running away, planning to hide in his cabin for the next few years.

  
Will, of course, ran after him.

  
Nico tried to slam his cabin door in Will's face, but the son of Apollo stuck his foot out and stopped him.

  
Will's cheeks were flushed from running across camp, but the fire in his eyes hadn't dimmed. "Let me in," he demanded. "We need to talk."

  
Nico crossed his arms and leaned all of his weight against the door. "About what, Solace?"

  
Will gave him an unimpressed stare, trying to pry open the door with one hand. "About the money, _di Angelo_."

  
Nico groaned and tried again to shut the door. Will yelped, pulling away and grabbing at his foot. He glared at Nico.

  
Nico took the opportunity and closed the door in Will's face, ignoring his shriek of indignation.

* * *

The second time Will approached him, Nico shadow-traveled away.

  
"Look, Will, it's not even a big deal! I don't want to hear whatever you're going to say! I don't want gratitude!"

  
Will stopped short. " _Gratitude_?!"

  
"Um, yes?" Nico said, confused. Maybe he'd read the situation wrong.

  
"I'm not trying to _thank_ you, di Angelo! I'm trying to--"

  
What Will was trying to do, Nico didn't hear. He shadow-traveled away, not liking where the conversation was headed.

* * *

The third time, Nico ignored him.

  
What? It was _Will's_ fault for approaching him while he was sparring with Percy, so he couldn't run away. ( A good move, though he'd never admit it.)

  
"NICO DI ANGELO," Will screeched.

  
Nico ignored him.

  
"Di Angelo, drop your death sword and get your butt over here. _We need to talk_."

  
Percy wolf-whistled. "Trouble in paradise, Nico?"

  
"Shut up, Jackson. Why don't you put your money where your mouth is? You're slacking," Nico told him darkly, rolling his eyes as he sent Percy's sword flying yet again.

  
Will took this as an opportunity. "Di Angelo, you can't say that you're busy anymore, get over here! I need to talk to you!"

  
"Get your sword back in the air before Will starts yapping," Nico hissed at Percy, still completely ignoring Will.

  
"Nico, could you please stop ignoring me?"

  
Nico huffed, stopping Percy. He rounded on Will. "Are you trying to get me killed?! I can't focus if you won't shut up, Solace!"

  
For a second, Will looked slightly guilty. Then Percy tapped his sword on the ground impatiently, and Nico went back to sparring.

* * *

It was on the fourth time that Will managed to corner him.

  
The second Nico caught sight of Will on the Hades cabin porch, he paled, eyes wide, and turned to run. 

  
"Nope!" Will reached out and grabbed his arm, fingernails digging into his skin when Nico squirmed.

  
"Do you need something?" Nico asked bitterly, glaring at him.

  
"Yep!" Will said cheerfully, a complete reverse from his anger before. He dragged Nico into his _own cabin_ , the jerk.

  
Will gave him a little shove towards the bed. "Sit. We need to talk."

  
"So you've mentioned." Nico gave in and sat stiffly on the very edge of his bed, prepared to run. 

  
And then Will sat down next to him and he forgot every reason he had for wanting to leave.

  
Will turned to face him, sitting cross-legged. Nico mirrored him.

  
"I wanted to know why you reacted the way you did."

  
Nico blinked. "What?"

  
Will leaned forward a little, making Nico look up at him. He hadn't even realised he'd been staring at the ground.

  
"I mean when I was talking about mental health. You got upset."

  
"I did not!"

  
Will gave him a small smile. "I have to ask you something. Be honest with me, okay?"

  
Nico nodded hesitantly.

  
"Are you homophobic?"

  
Nico stared at him. "...no?"

  
Will gave him a look. "Total honesty?"

  
Nico hesitated. "...yes?"

  
Will sighed. "Nico--"

  
"Internally."

  
"Huh?"

  
"Internalized... _homophobia_." Nico said the word with more venom than he meant to.

  
Will didn't answer. Nico's gaze had long-since drifted back to the floor, and he kept it that way.

  
"But I wouldn't... act on it. I'm not like that." He didn't mention that he was talking more about his own feelings than his beliefs.

  
Will finally spoke up. "When I say 'mental health', what do you think of?"

  
Nico couldn't stop himself from flinching. "Counseling," he replied vaguely.

  
Will hummed. "And what about 'mental health problems'?"

  
Another flinch. Nico wracked his brain to remember what Will had mentioned before, when he'd gone to the infirmary to get supplies. "Um, depression. Anxiety. PDST?"

  
Will chuckled "PTSD. That's the one I said you probably had, remember?

  
Nico nodded. "Is that what this is about? You want to try and fix me?"

  
Will shook his head. "Help. Not fix. That implies that you're broken, which you're not."

  
Nico scoffed. Neither demigod spoke for a few moments.

  
"Want to play a game?" Will asked him suddenly. 

  
Nico raised an eyebrow.

  
"A game. You know, fun. You know what that is, right?"

  
Nico rolled his eyes. "Fine, Solace. We'll play a _game._ "

  
Will beamed. "Okay! So it's called, 'Twenty Questions, But Better, And Ten Questions Because Dinner Is In Like An Hour And I Know We're Going To Get Distracted'."

  
"Is this some modern thing I'm supposed to understand?"

  
"Ah, ah, ah!" Will shook his finger in Nico's face. "We haven't started yet! I'll go first. First question: Is it true that you were born in a different time period?"

  
"Are you not gonna explain the rules?" He was dodging the question, and Will knew it.

  
"There are none. Now answer!"

  
"Fine, fine. Yes, I was born in the thirties. Now do I ask you a question?"

  
Will looked like he was going into shock, so Nico took it as a 'yes'.

  
"Why won't you leave me alone?"

  
Will shook himself. "I care about you. Also, it's fun. You can opt-out of this one."

  
"Oh, no."

  
"Are you straight?"

  
Nico tilted his head in confusion. "Am I what?"

  
"Are you attracted to girls and only girls?"

  
Nico hesitated. "Would it be a bad thing if I wasn't?"

  
Will gave him a sad look. "No, Nico. It wouldn't be a bad thing."

  
"Then no?"

  
Will shot him finger guns. "Me neither. Next question?"

  
"I, um, hngn."

  
Will nodded knowingly. "Indeed. 'Hngn.' "

  
"Um, why, um..." _Why do I always feel like I'm floating when I'm around you?_ "Why aren't you scared of me like everyone else?"

  
Will winked at him. "Because then I wouldn't get to torment you."

  
Nico groaned.

  
"No, seriously. Hating you because of your dad is as bad as hating you because you're not straight, or because you're Italian, or because you're younger than me. You couldn't change it even if you wanted to."

  
Nico just hummed and wiped a bit of dust from his eyes.

  
Will grabbed a pen from Nico's bedside table and pointed it at Nico like a microphone. "Do you hate me?"

  
"Why are all of your questions deeper than mine?"

  
"Not my fault you play the game wrong."

  
" I thought 'Twenty Questions, But Better, And Ten Questions Because Dinner Is In Like An Hour And I Know We're Going To Get Distracted' didn't have any rules."

  
"Just answer the question, di Angelo!"

  
"Fine. No, I don't hate you. You annoy me sometimes, but I don't hate you."

  
Will grinned at him. "Ditto, di Angelo, my bro."

  
"I take all of that back."

  
"So I _don't_ annoy you?"

  
"ARGH!"

  
"Rapid-fire time," Will announced

  
"Okay...?"

  
"It's your turn."

  
"Stop calling me Death Boy," Nico suggested.

  
"Not a question!"

  
"Do you promise to stop calling me Death Boy?"

  
"Nope!"

  
Nico stared at him. "You can't do that!"

  
Will winked. "There are no rules."

  
And so it went. Their questions ranged from, 'How much older than me are you?' (Nico) to 'Would you ever eat a llama?' (Will)

  
Their questions slowly got weirder and more light-hearted, until Will's last question.

  
"Would you do this again?" he asked hesitantly.

  
"By choice?"

  
"By choice."

  
"I... yeah. Yeah, I would do this again."

  
Will smiled at him, the blinding toothy one. "That's good. I would, too."

  
Nico gave a small smile back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave me prompts in the comments below! Love you guys! <3


	2. Our World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will accidentally summons an angelic demon with a dark past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well THIS ran away from me. For those who are wondering, this is over four thousand words. I just had way too much fun building the world. First time writing something like this, so feedback is greatly appreciated!
> 
> Prompt:  
> "When a drop of blood landed on the old rug with a pentagram on it that someone had gotten him as a joke, the only thing Will saw in his future was hours trying to get rid of the soon to be stain. The blond in no way had expected to see a brown-eyed boy materializing from smoke, one who just seemed to want nothing else other than to loudly voice his incredibility at how someone as plain-looking as him somehow managed to bring him out of hell."  
> Requested By: Virtual_Disaster_Bi (originally from tumblr)
> 
> This is pretty dark.  
> Possible Trigger Warnings:  
> \--Mentions of torture  
> \--Mentions of death  
> \--Bittersweet-ish ending

Will fumbled with the key to his apartment with one hand, the other clutching a phone to his ear.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it, be more responsible, blah, blah, blah. Listen, I gotta go. I'll talk to you later, okay, Kayla? Yeah, I will. Alright. Bye."

He hung up the phone and slipped it into his pocket, finally managing to get his door open.

He sighed, kicking off his green flip flops next to the door. (Not hospital dress code, but he was his own boss, so nobody minded.)

He waddled over to the kitchen, setting his keys and badge on the counter. 

He turned to go sit on the couch, but stopped when he caught sight of his clothes. They were speckled with blood and other gross things from his job at the hospital.

He'd been leaving work when Percy Jackson, of all people, stumbled into his hospital with a nasty nosebleed. Will had opened his mouth to tell Percy that a nosebleed did _not_ require a visit to the hospital when Annabeth showed up, giving Will a look, like, _Please deal with my dramatic husband_. And really, who was he to say no? Well, that, and he really didn't want to return to his quiet, lonely apartment any sooner than he had to.

Unfortunately, he'd been on his way out the door when Percy showed up, which meant that he'd already changed out of his uniform, which meant that his casual clothes got messed up, something that Kayla was all too eager to lecture him on.

Not wanting to walk through the studio apartment in his dirty clothes, Will stripped his shirt and pants by the door, hanging them from the hook over the pentagram rug Cecil had gotten him as a joke. 

Will walked through his apartment in just his boxers (did he mention he lived alone?), pausing to open a window when he noticed the room seemed a bit smokey. He really hoped nothing had caught on fire.

A sudden creaking sound from behind Will made him shudder. He knew it was nothing, but it was still creepy. 

Will took a quick shower, suddenly feeling like he was being watched. He quickly got dressed, grabbing a pocket knife from his dresser. He might be a bit paranoid, but no one was there to judge him; at least he hoped he was alone.

He crept into the kitchen, flipping the knife open and trying to look menacing. He rounded the corner and braced himself...

Nothing. Will sighed. Maybe he should get a cat or something, so he could blame all of the mysterious noises of his New York apartment on them.

Will flipped the knife shut and turned back to his bedroom, placing the knife on his bedside table. (You could never be too careful...)

He had worked the night shift that day, which meant it was one in the morning at that point. He only scrolled through Instagram for half an hour before deciding to go to sleep. He lay down, wrapping himself in a single blanket because he always got hot when he slept. He drifted off, trying to forget his unease.

* * *

Will woke to an odd weight on his chest. No, not like the heavy paranoia he was used to by now. Like, an actual, physical _weight_.

His eyes shot open and he tried to scream, but it got caught in his throat.

There was a _person_ on him, straddling his chest.

Once Will got over his panic (not totally, of course), he noticed that the boy was actually quite attractive. He had dark brown eyes and long black hair, with pale skin that Will could see quite a lot of, because holy _schist_ , the boy was shirtless. In fact, all he was wearing was a sort of ragged-skirt-thing, hiked up on his legs from the way he was sitting. On Will. On his chest. Oh, _god_.

Will gulped, and the boy's eyes seemed to track the movement. Will waited for him to reach across and grab the pocket knife to stab him (not the best place to put a weapon, in hindsight), or grab him and drag him away, or do _something_ besides stare at him with those _gorgeous brown eyes_ , and wow, okay, Will was too bi for this.

The boy opened his mouth to speak, and Will braced himself.

"You do not look like a collector. You look... plain."

Will was so distracted by the gorgeous smooth tone of his voice that he almost forgot to listen to the words.

"Excuse me?" Will huffed, but couldn't really find it in himself to be too mad.

The boy huffed. "Are you a trader, then?"

Will blinked. "What? Look, I don't know what you're talking about. Why are you in my apartment? Did you break in?"

The boy stared at him, unblinkingly, before reaching to grab Will's knife. He flipped it open, and Will felt oddly relieved. At least they were getting somewhere now.

The boy pressed the blade against Will's throat. "Do not play dumb. I know that you summoned me. Tell me who you are."

The blade dug into Will's throat and _now_ he was scared. He felt his breathing pick up. That, combined with the pressure of the boy still sitting on his lungs, made Will finally take action. The boy had made no move to restrain his arms, so Will grabbed the boy's hips and shoved him to the floor.

The boy immediately cowered, dropping the knife. He backed to the corner of the room and curled into himself, shaking.

Will felt awful. He grabbed the knife from the floor, for safety and all, but crept closer to the boy, concerned.

The boy raised a shaking hand, and Will stopped in his tracks.

Will cleared his throat. "I won't hurt you. Not unless you attack me first, or pin me down and hold a knife to my throat like you did. But I won't attack you unprovoked. You don't have to be scared."

"I am not scared of you," the boy said stubbornly, jaw clenched.

"Okay," Will said uncertainly. "Do you have a name?"

The boy studied him. "You have an odd method of torture."

Will chuckled nervously. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Who said anything about torture?"

Now the boy just looked confused. "My name is Nico. Why did you summon me if you don't want to test me?"

"Hello, Nico. I'm Will Solace. And I didn't call you."

Nico shook his head. "Not call. Summon. Or was it not you? Perhaps I was correct in thinking you are too plain-looking to summon me out of Hell."

Will reeled back, stunned. "Who _are_ you?"

Nico fixed Will with an unwavering gaze. "My name is Nico. And I would like to know what made you decide to summon a demon from Hell."

* * *

"Are you cold?" 

Will had adapted to having a demon in his apartment way faster than he probably should have. Once he'd gotten over the initial shock, he and Nico had walked to the kitchen to talk more. Well, Will had walked; Nico had done an odd Spider-Man crawling thing that kind of made Will want to just pick him up and carry him. Not that he hadn't already wanted to do that before.

Nico shook his head from where he sat on the floor. 

(He'd taken one look at Will sitting in a chair and sat down on the floor at his feet. When Will questioned him, he'd said that he'd never sat in a chair before and didn't really see the appeal.)

"Really? Because you're shivering and your teeth are chattering. Also, you're wearing almost nothing and it's January."

"It is hot in Hell. I am not used to this. And you would not help me even if I said I was cold, so there really is no point."

Will's eyebrows furrowed. "Why do you think I wouldn't help you?"

Nico growled at him. "I am waiting until you change your mind and start hurting me like the others. It is only a matter of time."

"Who hurt you?" Will asked angrily. He barely knew Nico, but the idea of him being hurt, being _tortured_ , made him want to explode.

Nico opened his mouth to speak, but stopped himself, expression guarded.

"I'm not a collector," Will assured him, straining to remember the other term Nico used. "Or, or a tailor."

"A trader," Nico corrected. "Traders take us to collectors. Collectors do the hurting."

Will sat forward. "Will you tell me more?"

Nico sighed. He fidgeted with the cup of coffee Will had given him, which he had yet to drink from. "I have a family," Nico began, "in Hell. My mother died a while ago-- she was human. My father was the one with demon blood-- _is_ the one, actually. He is still alive, as far as we know. He was summoned a long time ago. I do not remember him. I have a sister, Bianca. She is also in your world. I do not know if she is alive. Another sister, Hazel. She is still in Hell. It is better for her that way. She does not deserve to be hurt. Almost none of us do."

Despite how awful Nico's story was, Will couldn't help but admire the way he spoke. He kept everything to the point, not adding unnecessary words. His tone was emotionless, but a glance at his eyes told Will that Nico was hurting. He started to tell Nico that he could stop if he wanted to, but Nico was already continuing.

"I have not been summoned before, but I have heard the stories. The things your kind do are horrifying."

"What--" Will's voice cracked. He started again. "What do we do to you?"

Nico studied him. Whatever he saw must have been enough, because he continued. "I will tell you, but only because you would already know all of this if you are a collector or trader. And if you do not know it... I have lived my life expecting to be hurt. It will not matter if I give you ideas as to how."

Will gulped.

"You had not realised demons were real until me, correct? Neither did the first collectors. It was an accident that we were summoned. An accident that we came into your world." Nico's fists clenched. "The first demon to be summoned... he was scared, he was just _scared_." His voice shook. "He lashed out. Clawed at someone's face. Victim called the authorities, and since then, all of us have been seen as dangerous. Deadly.

"Now, they summon us for 'science'. They spill the blood of innocents and use it to make us appear. Then they lock us up and experiment on us. They do it because they are scared. They fear that we will attack them. We will not, but they do not care. Because it is them, they are allowed to act on their fear. But when we act on it, we are monsters."

Nico's voice shook. He tipped his head back against the wall and took a deep breath. "Now, we all live in fear. We are all summoned at some point. We have no inclination as to when. We only know that our time with our family, in our home, is limited. We have no choice but to leave when we are summoned."

Will finally found his voice. "That's... _awful_ ," he whispered, disgusted.

"It was not so bad at first. You see, when we are summoned, we only stay in your world for three days. No restraints or injuries could keep us here when time was up. But then your kind discovered a way to make us stay longer. A drug, a sedative. And now we are lucky if we ever return home."

Nico was staring right at Will now. "And then they made a way to kill us. They messed us up. We never did anything to them, but they stripped us of our immortality, of our family, our home, and our lives."

Nico gave a bitter laugh. "They even took away our culture. I have not spoken in our language for many years. The lucky ones, the ones that return from your world, they have us learn _your_ language, _your_ culture, and _your_ ways. And they have the nerve to call our home Hell. Your world is the real Hell. For us, anyway. And you are the true demons. Not us. But your culture has become a poison, spreading through my people and forcing us to become like you. Now, by force of habit, we call ourselves demons and our home Hell. And all because one of us got a little scared."

Nico's hands were shaking, his face pale.

Will was speechless.

Nico cleared his throat. "I cannot waste any time. I have three days in your world, and I have been waiting for those three days for my entire life. I am going to look for my father and sister." Nico eyed him, like he thought Will might stop him.

Will struggled to regain his composure. "Of course. If you'd like to blend in, you can borrow some of my clothes. But you can also keep what you have on."

After hearing Nico's story, Will felt sick at the idea of forcing him into _anything_.

But Nico nodded. "Do not misunderstand me. Your culture is not all bad. It is more the way that you force it upon us that has made me grow to hate it. I have no great love for the rags that I wear. They are... degrading, I believe is your word for it."

Will nodded his understanding. "Would you like help?"

Nico shook his head. "I do not trust you."

The words stung, but after hearing what he'd just heard, Will really couldn't blame him. It made sense that Nico wouldn't want to lose his last layer of dignity in front of Will.

"Do you know where you're going to look?" Will asked him.

"Yes. But I am not telling you. I do not want you to decide you would like a different lifestyle."

"I would never," Will argued.

Nico inclined his head. "Ah, but as I have said, I do not trust you."

* * *

"Stop here."

"We're in the middle of the street!"

"Then move to the side and _then_ stop."

Will rolled his eyes, but did as instructed. He put the car in park and turned to face Nico.

"Will you walk the rest of the way?"

"Yes." Nico fumbled with the car door. He'd done the same thing when they'd first gotten into the car. At Will's questing glance, he explained that he'd never been in a car before.

Will took pity on him, reaching across the car and opening the door for him. "Nico..."

The boy turned and looked back at him.

Will was suddenly struck by how _human_ he looked. Long legs, pale face, muscled arms. Pouty lips, dark eyebrows, thin nose. Dark eyes, messy hair. Black jeans, black shirt, black boots. So human. Why had his people been alienated? It made Will feel ashamed to be a part of the group that hurt Nico and his family.

Will took a deep breath. "If you would like to, you can return to my apartment once you're done. You and whoever else you may find."

Nico nodded. "I would like that. Thank you."

Will nodded. He watched as Nico walked away (they'd spent almost an hour practicing not doing the Spider-Man Crawl).

The moment Nico was out of sight, Will spun the car around and drove as fast as he could to Kayla's apartment. He needed to rant.

* * *

When Will returned to his apartment that evening, Nico was sitting on (the floor next to) the couch, staring at his hands. Will glanced around. They were alone.

Will sat on the floor next to Nico. Neither spoke for several moments.

"My father is home. I helped send him back earlier."

Will nodded. He had questions about that, but it wasn't the time. "And... your sister?"

Nico's shoulders shook, but no tears fell. "She is dead."

Will placed a hand on Nico's knee as a small comfort.

Nico's fists clenched. "They _killed_ her. Tortured her to death and got rid of the body. And to think... if you had not summoned me, I might have gone the rest of my life not knowing."

"I'm sorry. You should know that I didn't intend to summon you."

Nico shook his head. "No. It is better this way. Ignorance is not happiness. At least now I have closure."

Will nodded. "...Would you like to talk about it?"

"No," Nico replied immediately.

"Um, okay." Will scrambled for something to say. "Will you tell me more about how all of this works? The summoning and such?"

Nico seemed relieved at the change of subjects. "Sure. You summoned me by spilling blood on that hideous rug."

"So... you were trapped inside the rug? Like Aladdin?"

Nico's nose scrunched. "I do not know what that is, but probably not."

"So you go back in three days?"

"One, actually. You technically summoned me yesterday, just before midnight. I will leave at sunset tomorrow. Or sooner, if you wish."

Nico suddenly looked uncertain.

Will's eyes widened. He shook his head. "I don't want you to leave early. I'm already hating that you have to leave tomorrow. I don't see any appeal in having you gone sooner. Do you?"

Nico shook his head. He was facing away, but Will got the feeling he was smiling.

* * *

Will awoke to screaming.

He shot up in bed and grabbed his pocket knife from underneath his pillow (because you live and you learn). A glance at the clock told him it was two in the morning, an ungodly time to be awake, but adrenaline was pumping through him. He hurried as quietly as he could to the living room, but stopped in his tracks when he saw Nico.

He had his back toward Will. He was crouching, bent double, his shoulders shaking with grief. In one hand he held a knife from the kitchen. Will watched as he suddenly sat up and chucked the knife with all his might. It stuck in the wall, just above the very rug that had brought this dark-haired boy into Will's life.

Nico stared at the knife for a moment, before shakily standing. He bent down to pluck it out of the wall.

"Nico?" In hindsight, Will couldn't have had suckier timing.

Without missing a beat, Nico snatched the knife, spun around, and hurled it in the direction that Will's voice had come.

He was lucky that Nico was emotional. The knife sailed through the air, almost in slow-motion, and Will's mind just had time to scream, "AH!" and not anything helpful. Luckily for him, Nico's aim was off, and the knife stuck in the wall a few inches away from Will's left ear.

Will stared at him, eyes wide. Nico stared back. His already pale skin paled further, and he surged forward.

If Will thought he was going to get an apology, or a hug, or _something_ , then he was very disappointed. Nico pulled the knife from the wall and pointed it at Will.

"Get away from me." Despite his words, Nico backed up and sat on the floor, eyes never leaving Will's.

"Easy. I won't hurt you." Will sat down a couple of feet from Nico, eyeing the other boy carefully.

Nico's shoulders slumped. He set the knife down next to him-- within reach, but not an immediate threat to Will.

"Will..."

The blond jumped. It was the first time Nico had ever used his name. He really liked the way Nico made it sound. Will hadn't noticed before, but Nico had a hint of an accent that only really showed on certain words. It seemed Will's name was one of them.

"Why is the world so cruel?" Nico asked him sadly. Will didn't have an answer.

"She did nothing wrong. But they killed her, and they called it a _punishment'_."

Will swallowed. "You know how she died?"

Nico looked up at him. There was so much pain and sadness in those eyes. "She had stolen some of the sedative they use to keep us prisoner here. She was going to return home and take it back with her. My people are brilliant, Will-- we might have been able to use a sample of it to make a cure. But she was caught. She was so close! They caught her and took her back to their lab. They tested on her. No food or water. They wanted to see how long she could go. She was destined to fail, destined to die. They just wanted to see how long it would take."

"Nico..." Will hesitated. "How do you know all of this?"

"...They told me. Proudly."

Will's voice wouldn't work. Despite everything that had happened to him, Nico was still so strong. Will admired that more than he thought possible.

* * *

The rest of the day was bittersweet, at best. Will had taken it upon himself to show Nico the good parts of his world. It might not be home for Nico, but it wasn't all bad. 

It had occurred to Will that he'd never seen Nico eat, not once in the day, or two days, technically, that he'd been there. When Will questioned him, he explained that his people only needed to eat once a week or so. And even then, they ate something that Nico called 'ambrosia' and 'nectar'. Will decided right then and there to show Nico what good food was like.

"And this is... what, exactly?" Nico questioned, twirling his spoon in the air and watching, fascinated, as a glob of ice cream fell back into the cup with a plop.

"Ice cream," Will told him proudly, shoveling a spoonful in his mouth. "Well, technically it's frozen yogurt."

Nico sniffed it, and his nose wrinkled. "It smells too sweet."

Will rolled his eyes. "Just try it."

Nico stuck a little in his mouth skeptically. He immediately winced. " _Cold_ ," he choked out.

Will laughed. He popped another spoon of Pomegranate Party in his mouth and stuck his tongue out at Nico, not bothering to swallow first. 

Nico snorted. "It stained your lips. You look like you are wearing lipstick."

Will pressed his lips together and made kissy faces at Nico. He laughed again.

Nico's eyes clouded with thought. After a few moments, his smile had turned into a frown.

Will nudged his arm playfully. "Everything okay?"

Nico sighed. "Yes. I just... I am going home tomorrow. I will see my father and sister again. I have closure about Bianca. And yet... I do not feel happy."

Will leaned forward and put a hand on Nico's forearm comfortingly. "Hey-- I get it. It's okay that you aren't happy. You're allowed to be scared of what you're going home to."

Nico shook his head firmly. "No. That is not... that is not the problem. It is not what I am going home to. It is what I am leaving _behind_."

Will flushed. He wanted to say something, but he didn't know what. Luckily for him, Nico kept talking.

"Will, I have lived my whole life believing that your kind are cruel and dangerous. And some of them are. But... not all. You have made a great impact on my life, Will Solace. I will never see the world the same way again."

Will finally found his voice. "You've changed me, too. I've never..." he trailed off, looking for the right words. "I care about you, and what happens to you. I care in a way I've always wanted to feel, but never have before. You've changed my perspective in a way that I never realised needed changing."

Will looked at Nico's eyes, sparkling in the sun, and at his smile, tilted a bit, but beautiful all the same, and he couldn't help but think that he was really going to miss Nico when he went home.

* * *

Will glanced again out the window. The sun was setting outside, and Nico was standing on top of Will's rug, the same way he had three days earlier.

Neither knew quite what to say. They just looked at each other, trying to memorize the details of what the other looked like, acted like, moved like.

Will held out his arms. Nico wordlessly let himself fall forward, sagging against Will's chest.

"I'm really going to miss you," Will murmured into Nico's hair.

"You will hear from me again. I promise."

Will didn't truly believe him, but he wanted to.

As if an outside force told them to, both boys pulled away slightly, staring at each other. The air was heavy with something neither could name. 

Then they both surged forward. Their lips connected, clumsy and inexperienced; short and sweet. 

When they parted, they just looked at each other some more, holding each other as the sky darkened outside.

Nico stared at Will. And Will stared back, at this beautiful boy who had changed his life forever. And as Nico vanished in a blur of smoke, they each saw each other in a new light, much like they now saw the world around them.

* * *

Much later, almost three years later, Will would leave his work clothes on the hook above the rug, like he would every day. They would fall, smearing blood. Out of smoke would appear two figures-- A young girl with dark skin and golden curls, and a dark-haired boy who would smile at Will. He would make some quick introductions --"Hazel, this is Will. Will, this is my sister, Hazel."-- and then lead Will to the living room, since he was too stunned to remember to move independently. He would patiently explain that he and Hazel had managed to make a slightly altered version of the drug collectors use to keep Nico and his people in their world. They didn't plan on going back. Together, Nico, Will, and Hazel would get rid of the collectors, and the traders, and Nico and his people would slowly move to live in Will's world. They would live free, and keep their own culture. Together, all of them would rebuild Will's world-- no. They would rebuild _their_ world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAVE I MENTIONED I DON'T KNOW HOW DEMONS WORK
> 
> Also, please don't ask me to write a sequel. I love you guys, and I try to write everything you request, but I have literally No Idea what I would write for a sequel. That probably goes for future chapters, too-- sequels tend to be the things that I get stuck on, and they're usually the reason I don't update. Other than that, fire away! Open to pretty much anything except smut :)


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